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Burden's General Merchandise!
Echols, KY.
Web Page by j r durham in the year of 2007.
Updated code on 2/12/19.
Text, Pictures, and Layout Provided By Dale Thomas.
Claud Burden General Merchandise.
Claud and Millie Burden operated a General
Store in Echols for 40 years. Millie was the postmistress for the last 21 years
of this period. After they retired in about 1960, two of their daughters took over.
Jeanette (Tootsie) Burden Taylor became postmistress and Naomi Burden Thomas became
the store proprietor.
The old Burden store building (ca 1962)
The store was connected to the burden family residence by an enclosed breezeway. The
old house as it exists today is shown below. The store building no longer stands.
Recent picture of the old Burden House.
The store carried a wide variety of essential
items: carbide, nails, fireworks, medicine, clothing, dry goods, toys, tools, gas,
kerosene, groceries, fresh meats, ice cream, candy, washboards, and countless other
items too numerous to mention.
It was always a gathering place for the older men in the community. Countless tall
tales and fond memories were exchanged around the old pot-belly stove in the winter,
and on the front bench in the summer.
Sale Flyer (ca late 1930 - early 1940)
The post office moved from the store building to a small concrete block building about
50 yards up the road. The store remained in the building built by Claud Burden until
the building burned in the late 1960s. At that time, a new store building was built
at the crossroads on the corner of KY 1245 and Pond Run Road.
Naomi operated the store for approximately 20 years, closing the store in 1982. The
store building was remodeled and became the retirement home of A. L. (Dick) and Naomi
Thomas. It is still the residence of Naomi.
Naomi Thomas Residence.
Thanks to Dale Thomas for his work on this page.
Thanks for looking and thanks for reading. Hope all received some enjoyment and that
you can remember some good times of the past.
See you....
jrd